Sterilizing device



Dec. 31, 1968 H. P. H. NICHOLAS STERILIZING DEVICE Sheet Filed May 27, 1965 INYVENTORI HAAQEY P. H. c/1044s 32% Dec. 31, 1968 H. P. H. NICHOLAS 3,419,346

STERILIZING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1965 #4619? EH. A/ICHGCAS 3,419,346 STERILIZING DEVICE Harry P. H. Nichoias, 25-126 121st St., Flushing, NX. 11354 Filed May 27, 1965, tier. No. 459,196 6 Claims. (Cl. 21-87) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE The present invention relates to sterilizing devices.

More particularly, the present invention relates to that type of sterilizing device in which the articles to be sterilized are immersed within a sterilizing solution.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing device which is capable of elficiently sterilizing a relatively large number of small articles which can have any desired configuration.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing device which is inexpensive and compact.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing device of the above type which can be operated manually without any inconvenience.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sterilizing device of the above type which will conserve the sterilizing solution so that the same solution can be used over and over to sterilize different batches of articles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing device of the above type which is particularly suited for use in beauty parlors particularly in connection with the sterilization of hair curling instruments such as hairpins, clips, rollers and other instruments used in the curling of hair.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sterilizing device which can conveniently be situated between a pair of operators who can simultaneously make convenient use of the one sterilizing device.

The objects of the present invention also include the provision of a sterilizing device of the above type which will reliably maintain the articles to be sterilized within the sterilizing solution for a period of time suflicient to provide the required sterilizing action.

Also, the objects of the present invention include the provision of a sterilizing device which is capable of closing off the sterilizing solution from the outer atmosphere so that the solution will remain quite clean, while at the same time making it very easy to replace the sterilizing solution whenever it is desired.

Primarily the structure of the present invention includes an open-top tank which is adapted to contain the sterilizing solution. A holder for the articles to be sterilized has a lower portion which is small enough to be situated within the tank, and at least this lower portion of the holder is perforated so that when the lower portion of the article holder is within the tank the sterilizing solution can have access through the perforated lower portion of the holder to articles within the latter to sterilize these articles. In accordance with a further feature of the present invention a means is operatively connected to the article holder for moving the latter between a lower position where at 3,419,346 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 least its lower portion is situated within the solution within the tank and an upper position where the article holder is situated over the tank so that solution can drip from the holder back into the tank.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, partly broken away view of one possible embodiment of a sterilizing device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the sterilizing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section of the structure of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view of the structure of FIG. 2 taken along line 44 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of another embodiment of a sterilizing device according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section of the structure of FIG. 6 taken along line 77 of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a sectional plan view of the structure of FIG. 6 taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of the automatic structure for automatically releasing the article holder of FIGS. 5-8 for movement from its lower to its upper position.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the sterilizing device 10 illustrated therein includes a tank 12 which has an open top and which is adapted to be filled with a sterilizing solution the surface 14 of which is indicated in FIG. 2. An article holder 16 is provided for the articles which are to be sterilized, and in the particular example illustrated the article holder 16 is of a rectangular cross section and also has an open top so that articles can be introduced into the holder 16 simply by being dropped through the open top thereof, and in order to remove articles from the holder 16 it can be inverted or the articles can be manually removed through the top of the holder 16. This article holder 16 is made of a material which will not react in any way with the sterilizing solution, and of course the same is true of the tank 12. At least a lower portion 18 (FIG. 3) of the article holder 16 is formed with perforations 2i and at least this lower portion 18 of the article holder 16 is small enough to be immersed within the solution within the tank 12, so that it is possible for the solution to have access through the openings or perforations 20 with the interior of the holder 16 to sterilize articles therein when the article holder 16 is at the lower position indicated for the left article holder 16 of FIG. 2.

The right article holder 16 of FIG. 2 is shown at an upper position situated over the tank 12 so that solution can drip from the right holder 16 back into the tank 12, and in this way a considerable amount of solution can be preserved. A means is provided for displacing the article holders 16 between the lower position shown at the left in FIG. 2 and the upper position shown at the right in FIG. 2, and of course it is apparent that with the particular embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4

there are a pair of article holders 16 adapted to cooperate with the single tank 12 which of course is made large enough to accommodate both of the holders 16 simultaneously.

position shown for the right holder 16 of FIG. 2, includes a frame means 22 (FIG. 4) made up of an endless frame member 24 which in the illustrated example is of a rectangular configuration and is situated substantially within a horizontal plane during use of the sterilizing device 16. The configuration of the endless frame member 24 is such that it can freely surround the article holder 16 which has a cross-sectional configuration conforming to that of and slightly smaller than the frame mernber 24. A front projection 26 is fixed to and projects from the endless frame member 24, and a rear projection 28 is diametrically opposed to the projection 26 and is also fixed to and projects rearwardly from the endless frame member 24, and a guide means cooperates with the projections 26 and 28 to guide the frame member 24 and the holder 16 therewith for movement between the upper and lower positions referred to above. This guide means includes a vertical wall 30 formed with a slot 32 through which the projection 26 freely extends, and it will be noted that the wall 30 is formed also with a slot 34 for guiding the right holder 16 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The guide slots 32 and 34 have substantially the configuration of an inverted L, but it is to be noted that the upper horizontal legs of the guide slots 32 and 34 are directed away from each other, as shown in FIG. 1, so that when the right holder 16 is moved upwardly it will be displaced to the right so as to be maintained in its upper position while when the left holder 16 is moved upwardly it will be displaced to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, so as to be maintained in its upper position, and of course the tank 12 is large enough to be situated beneath the holders 16 in all of the positions thereof. The rear projections 28 of the pair of endless frame members 24 are respectively guided by a pair of rear channel members 36 and 33 formed with slots which are respectively identical with and aligned with the slots 32 and 34, respectively, as is apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2. Of course, the frame means 22 which supports the right holder 16 of FIG. 2 is identical with the frame means which supports the left holders 16. Each of the open-top holders 16 is provided with a pair of opposed upper flanges 17 which overlap and rest on the endless frame member 24, so that in this way each holder 16 is removably supported by a frame member 2a and can be removed simply by being displaced upwardly through the frame member 24 The entire structure described above is enclosed within an enclosure 40 made up of a plurality of vertical walls, one of which is formed by the wall 30, and these vertical walls of the enclosure 40 define a hollow interior space in which the tank 12 and the article holders 16 are adapted to be situated. The front wall 30 of the enclosure 41) is formed with a lower opening 42 through which the tank 12 can be displaced, so that actually this tank 12 is in the form of a drawer movable into and out of the interior of the enclosure 40 and having the open top through which the holders 16 can have access to the solution within the tank 12. At the same time, since this tank 12 is in the form of a removable drawer it can simply be removed from the enclosure 40 so as to make it very easy for the operator to pour out used sterilizing solution and replace it with fresh sterilizing solution, after which the drawer 12 is replaced within the enclosure 40 through the opening 42 of the front wall 39 thereof. At its top end the enclosure 40 includes a strip 44 extending between and permanently connected with the top edges of the front and rear walls of the enclosure 40, the rear wall fixedly carrying the pair of guide channels 36 and 38 referred to above. On opposed sides of the central strip 44 are located a pair of covers 46 and 48 which are hingedly connected at their rear ends to the rear wall of the enclosure 40 so that the covers are turnable between the closed position indicated in FIG. 1 forthe cover 46 and the open position indicated in FIG. I for the cover 48. By closing the covers 46 and 48 and by reason of the vertical walls of the enclosure 46, the entire inner space of the enclosure can be protected from the outer atmosphere so that a minimum amount of dust or other foreign matter can have access to the interior of the enclosure or to the articles sterilized therein. On the other hand, by turning the doors or covers 46 or 48 upwardly to the position indicated for the cover 48 in FIG. 1, it is possible for the operator to very easily remove and replace a holder 16 or simply to remove articles from the interior of the holder 16 and replace articles therein, if it is desired to simply allow the holder 16 to remain permanently supported by the frame member 24.

A plurality of handles are available to render the structure convenient to operate. Thus, the doors 56 and 48 fixedly carry knobs St) at their exteriors making it easy for the operator to turn the doors 4-6 and 48 between the open and closed positions thereof. In the same way the front wall of the drawer or tank 12 carries a knob or handle 52 enabling the tank 12 to be displaced through the opening 42. In addition, the forward projections 26 of the pair of frame means 22 carry handles 54 accessible at the exterior of the enclosure 40 so that the operator can raise and lower the pair of frame means 24 and the containers 16 therewith between the upper and lower positions indicated in FIG. 2 for the right and left holders 16, respectively.

The manner in which the above-described structure operates is believed to be clear. The operator will place articles such as the hair curling instruments 56 indicated in FIG. 4 within a holder 16 either while the latter is supported on the frame means 22 and the cover 46 or 48 thereover situated in its open position, or the holder 16 can be situated on a suitable table and the articles 56 introduced into the holder 16, After a number of articles 56 suitable for sterilization have accumulated within the holder 16 it is introduced through one of the doors 46 or 48 into the interior of the enclosure ,0 and downwardly through a frame member 24 so that the flanges 17 rest on the frame member 24. Thereafter the operator will lower the frame means 22 so that the perforated article holder 16 will be situated within the sterilizing solution within the tank 12, and at this time the operator will set the timer 58 indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 1 for the period of time required for thorough sterilization of the articles 56. This time may be on the order of five minutes, for example. The timer 58 will buzz or give an other alarm at the end of the time for which it has been set, whereupon the operator will raise the holder 16 to its upper position enabling solution to drip from the holder 16 back into the tank 12. Then the operator will open the door situated over the raised holder 16 and either remove the entire holder and replace it with another holder or simply remove the sterilized articles one by one from the holder which remains in its upper position within the enclosure. It is preferred to provide for each operator a plurality of article holders so that the doors 46 and 48 will remain closed except for extremely short periods of time when a holder 16 is introduced into or removed from the enclosure 4%). Moreover, it is to be noted that the pair of article holders 16 of the device are independently operable by a pair of operators quite independently of each other, so that the single sterilizing device 10 shown in FIG. 1 can conveniently be situated between a pair of operators both of whom can use the single device 10 without any interference. In this way the single device 10 of the present invention can serve a pair of independent operators without any conflict so that a highly efficient use is made of the device 10 of the present invention.

However, a pair of holders 16 cooperating with a single tank 12 is not essential, and the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 59 shows but a single article holder 66 cooperating with the single tank 62 which has an open top and which receives the sterilizing solution 64. In this case also the tank 62 is in the form of a drawer guided through a suitable opening in a front wall 66 of an enclosure 68 which may have the same general configuration as the enclosure 40 described above. Thus, the drawer or tank 62 can carry at its front wall a knob 68 so that the operator can conveniently displace the tank or drawer 62 when it is required to replace the sterilizing solution 64 therein.

In the case of FIGS. 5-9 the article holder 60 also has a lower portion 70 formed with perforations 72, so that it is through the lower perforated portion of the article holdor 60 that the solution 64 has access to the interior of the article holder 60 to sterilize articles therein when the holder 60 is in the lower position thereof indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The article holder 60 has an open top through which the articles can be introduced into the holder 60, and it also has a pair of opposed front and rear elongated flanges 74 which rest on an endless frame member 76 of a frame means which removably supports the holder 60 in the same way that the frame means 22 removably supports an article holder 16, as described above. The frame means includes, in addition to the endless frame member 76, a pair of diametrically opposed projections 78 which in this case extend through vertical slots 88 formed in the opposed end walls of the enclosure 68, so that in this case it is the slotted end walls of the enclosure 68 which form the guide means for guiding the frame means for movement between the lower and upper positions thereof which situate the article holder 60- in its lower and upper positions, and of course when the holder 64 is in its upper position it is situated over the tank or drawer 62 so that the solution can drip from the article holder 60 back into the tank 62.

In the case of FIGS. 59 the enclosure 68 includes a cover 82 provided with a handle 84 and hinged at 86 to the top edge of the rear wall of the enclosure 68, so that the cover 82 can be tilted upwardly from the closed position thereof shown in FIG. 5, so as to give access to the interior of the enclosure 68.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5-9, a spring means 88 is provided for urging the frame means 76, 78 together with the article holder 60 to the upper position where the latter is situated over the tank 62 spaced from the solution 64 therein. In the illustrated example this spring means 88 takes the form of a pair of coil springs 90 which are hooked at their top ends onto brackets 92 fixedly mounted in the interior of the enclosure 68 on the opposed end walls thereof, and these springs 90 are also hooked onto the projections 78 which projects through the pair of aligned vertical slots 80, so that the springs 90, unless tensioned to the conditions thereof illustrated in FIG. 6, will reliably retain the holder 69 in its upper position determined by engagement of the projections 78' with the top ends of the slots 80 against which the projections 78 are resiliently held by the springs 90 which are strong enough to support the weight of the frame means together with the article holder 60 and any articles therein,

A releasable retaining means is provided for releasably retaining the article holder 60 together with the frame means which supports the same in the lower position shown in FIG. 6, and this releasable retaining means includes a pair of hook members 92 having upper hook ends capable of extending respectively over the projections 78. The parts are shown in this position in the drawings, and FIG. 9 in particular shows how the upper hook end of the hook member 92 is situated over one of the projections 78. This hook member 92 is pivotally supported by a pivot 94 on an end wall of the enclosure 68, and of course each end wall of the enclosure 68 carries an identical releasable retaining means so that only one is described in detail. The hook member 92 has distant from its upper hook end a lower end pivotally connected with one end of an elongated armature 96 (FIG. 9) of a solenoid which includes a coil 98. This solenoid is situated in the electrical circuit 109 which includes the source of current 102 and a switch 104 which when closed will energize the solenoid 96, 98. The armature 96 is urged by a spring 106, diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 9, to the right, as viewed in FIG. 9, thus urging the hook member 92 into the position where it releasably holds the frame means in its lower position. When the switch 104 is closed the solenoid is energized to displace the armature 96 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 9, in opposition to the spring 166, and now the hook 92 will turn in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 9, thus becoming displaced away from the projection 78 shown in FIG. 9, and both of the releasable retaining means which are respectively carried by the pair of end walls of the enclosure 68 are simultaneously actuated so that the frame means is released simultaneously to the pair of springs which automatically return the holder 60 to its upper position. Both of the solenoids of the pair of releasable retaining means which are respectively carried by the end walls of the enclosure 68 are electrically connected through suitable conductors 108, indicated in FIG. 5, to a single timer means T which is of a conventional construction and which can be manually set to automatically close the switch 104 after a predetermined time which can be selected, this time being on the order of five minutes, for example. Of course, both of the releasable retaining means are of an identical construction, as indicated above, so that they will be simultaneously actuated to release the article holder 6%) for return to its upper position.

Thus, with the embodiment of FIGS. 59, after a number of articles to be sterilized have accumulated within a holder 69, it is placed into the endless frame member 76 in the manner indicated most clearly in FIG. 8, after the door 82 has been opened, and then the door 82 is closed and the frame means is lowered in opposition to the springs 98 to the lower position indicated in FIG. 6. In order to facilitate this movement of the frame means the pair of projections 78 carry knobs at their ends, and the operator will simply grasp these knobs and simultaneously depress both of the projections 78 which by engaging the curved camming edges 112 of the hooks 92 cam the latter in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 9, in opposition to the springs 106 until these hook members 92 snap over the projections 78 to retain the structure in the position in the position shown in FIG. 6 in opposition to the pair of springs 90.

Then the operator will set the timer T so as to automatically close the switch 104 after a selected period of time, and in this way the articles will be automatically removed from the sterilizing solution after a selected period of time.

Of course, with the embodiment of FIGS. 5-9 it is also possible to situate the entire unit between a pair of operators, but in this case both operators would have to use the same article holder 66. However, this represents no inconvenience where a plurality of these article holders are provided, as is preferred. By using a plurality of article holders it is possible for the cover or door 82 to remain enclosed most of the time, so as to prevent dust or other foreign matter from having access to the sterilizing solution 64. Each operator can be provided with a separate plurality of article holders 60 which are individually filled by the several operators. When one of the article holders 6! has a sufficient number of articles which are to be sterilized, if the sterilizing device is not available it certainly will be in a very short time, and when it is available the operator will introduce the article holder 60 into the device, after which the door 82 will be closed and the pair of projections 78 depress beneath the hooks 92 and the timer T set. After the sterilizing period has elapsed the article holder will automatically be returned to its upper position, and after a short time the operator can simply remove the container or article holder 60 with the sterilized articles therein, and another operator can have the use of the device. Thus, it is possible in this way for a relatively large number of operators to use the same device without any conflict since the likelihood of a large number of operators simultaneously requiring use of the device is very remote.

Therefore, while a structure as shown in FIGS. 5-9 can be situated between the pair of operators, it can also be situated at a central location to serve a relatively large number of operators each of whom is provided with a plurality of the article holders 60 so that the device can be operated in the manner referred to above.

It is believed to be apparent, therefore, that with the structure of the invention it is possible to sterilize articles such as hair curling instruments in an efficient rapid as well as highly effective manner which will guarantee thorough sterilization of the articles with a minimum of inconvenience and with a structure which is extremely simple and compact as well as quite inexpensive and easy to operate and service. The structure of the invention is particularly suited for hair curling instruments such as hair pins, clips, rollers and other instruments used in the curling of hair.

I claim:

1. A sterilizing device comprising an open-top tank adapted to contain a sterilizing solution, an article holder being small enough at least at a lower portion of said holder to be introduced into said tank to be immersed at said lower portion into a solution in said tank, said lower portion of said holder being perforated so that solution in said tank can have access through the perforated lower portion of said holder with the interior thereof to sterilize articles within said holder, means operatively connected to said holder for displacing the latter between a lower position where at least said lower portion of said holder is within a solution in said tank and an upper position where said holder is situated over said tank so that solution can drip from said holder back into said tank, and automatic means operatively connected to said means for displacing said holder for automatically retaining the latter for a selected period of time in said lower position and for then automatically displacing said holder to said upper position.

2. A sterilizing device comprising an outer enclosure having a plurality of vertical walls which define a given interior space, one of said walls being formed with an opening at a lower portion thereof, an open-top tank movable through said opening of said one wall into and out of said space, said tank operating as a drawer and forming a container for a sterilizing solution, a holder for articles to be sterilized, said holder being small enough to be situated within said space defined by said wall of said enclosure over said tank to be movable downwardly into the latter and upwardly out of the latter, said holder having at least a lower perforated portion through which solution in said tank can have access to the interior of said holder to sterilize articles therein, frame means removably supporting said holder and situated at least in part within said interior space of said enclosure, at least one of said walls of said enclosure being formed with a guide slot and said frame means having a projection extending through said slot to the exterior of said enclosure to be accessible to the operator, and said 8 guide slot having a configuration providing for said frame means and said holder therewith a lower position where at least said lower portion of said holder is within a solution in said tank and an upper position where said frame means supports said holder at an elevation above said tank so that solution can drip from said holder down into said tank.

3. A sterilizing device as recited in claim 2 and wherein said guide slot has substantially the configuration of an inverted L so that said guide slot has a vertical leg along which said frame means is movable between said upper and lower positions and an upper horizontal portion along which said frame means can be laterally displaced to support said holder in said upper position.

4. A sterilizing device as recited in claim 2 and wherein said enclosure includes a removable top wall capable of covering the space defined by said vertical walls of said enclosure.

5. A sterilizing device as recited in claim 4 and wherein said removable top wall is hingedly connected to one of said vertical Walls of said enclosure.

6. A sterilizing device comprising a tank having an open top and adapted to contain a sterilizing solution, a holder small enough to allow at least a lower portion of said holder to be introduced into said tank, said holder being perforated at least at said lower portion thereof so that a solution within said tank can have access through said perforated lower portion of said holder to the interior thereof for sterilizing articles therein, spring means operatively connected to said holder to urge the latter to an upper position situated over said tank so that solution can drip from said holder back into said tank when said holder is in said upper position, releasable retaining means operatively connected to said holder for releasably retaining the latter in opposition to said spring means in a lower position where at least said lower portion of said holder is within a solution in said tank, and means for automatically actuating said releasable retaining means to release said holder for movement by said spring means to said upper position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,850,524 3/1932 Whittaker 21l05 XR 2,231,790 2/1941 Andress 2187 2,327,721 8/1943 Konucik 2187 2,786,245 3/1957 Steinbeck 21-105 MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

B. S. RICHMAN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 2191, 

